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Japanese-American Internment Camps During WWII

Tule Lake Exhibit

Tule Lake War Relocation Center in northern California, renamed Tule Lake Segregation Center in 1943, was one of ten concentration camps used by the United States government to imprison Japanese Americans during World War II. Prisoners there held frequent demonstrations and strikes, demanding their rights under the United States Constitution. As a result, Tule Lake was turned into a maximum security "segregation camp," and prisoners from other camps who had refused to take the loyalty oath or had caused disturbances were sent to Tule Lake. At its peak, Tule Lake held 18,789 internees. Tule Lake was also one of the last camps to be closed, staying open until March 20, 1946.

The photographs in this exhibit come from P0144 Japanese American relocation photograph collection, which is fully digitized and available to browse and search on the Digital Library. Click the photo number beneath each thumbnail to view the images on the Digital Library. This collection forms part of the Mitsugi M. Kasai Memorial Japanese American Archive in the Special Collections Department, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah. 

A bustling office scene from the past, featuring men and women working at desks with typewriters and paperwork in a vintage setting. P0144n003 
A parade with marching soldiers and flag bearers walks down a dusty road, surrounded by a diverse crowd watching from both sides. P0144n008 
Two women sit at a wooden table, working on typewriters, while another woman observes. Crumpled papers litter the floor.P0144n031 
A group of individuals gathers around a table where one person is filling out papers, while others hold documents and listen attentively. 
A classroom setting with children seated at small tables, raising their hands enthusiastically, as a teacher gestures animatedly.  P0144n032
A historical black-and-white office scene with people engaged in various tasks, including writing and organizing documents. P0144n049 
A teacher stands at a chalkboard in a classroom, while students eagerly raise their hands, engaged in learning. Books are piled on desks. P0144n043 
A historic black-and-white image of a school classroom filled with children seated at wooden desks, focused and attentive. P0144n047 
A rusty old ruck in a barren field. The truck has full linen bags on the trunk. P0144n058 
A group of children and adults approach a wooden school building with signs, set in a barren landscape under a cloudy sky. P0144n039 
A woman and child walk along a dusty road lined with small wooden structures, under a cloudy sky in a historical settlement. P0144n180 
A large crowd gathers around a bus labeled "C. & A. N. Stages," with a passenger climbing on top, set against a dusty landscape. P0144n130 
A historic black-and-white photo of a group of people, many with raised arms, lined up along a chain-link fence in a dusty area. P0144n226 
Black and white image of wooden buildings with a chimney emitting smoke, surrounded by small trees and a picket fence. P0144n184 
Black and white photograph of single-story wooden buildings in a barren landscape, with a distant mountain visible in the background. P0144n192 
Black and white image of a dirt street lined with wooden buildings and power poles, under a cloudy sky. P0144n081 
A group of women sorting and packing vegetables in a rustic warehouse filled with wooden crates. P0144n02_02_362 
A black and white image of a baseball game in progress, with a batter swinging at a pitch and spectators watching in the background. P0144n085
A historic black-and-white photo of women approaching a bus, with luggage on the roof and a watchtower in the background. P0144n230 
Deserted street lined with wooden houses and utility poles, under a clear sky, showcasing a quiet, rustic setting. P0144n181 
A man operates a vintage height measuring device in a wooden room, with measuring marks visible on the wall behind him. P0144n163 
A man in a light-colored uniform and a woman in a dark coat stand next to several vintage suitcases on the ground. P0144n270
A woman in a floral skirt reads a notice board for the Tulelake Project, outlining area limits and regulations in a grassy field. P0144n064 
Two girls in floral dresses stand smiling in front of a glass-paneled building labeled "Tri-State High School." P0144n276 
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 Last Modified 4/29/25